If you do a good deed, when will the results come? ....
Like the water poured at the feet of the coconut tree is returned as coconut water from its head...
(Avaiyar completed the first line of a verse written by a famous poet a very young age. She showed her profound understanding of service without expectations as the ideal path of life)
We are all sparks of the Universal Divine Light. These sparks manifest and live their own unique lives. The lives of many saints are extraordinary. They set examples to us on how to overcome circumstances of material life and move on into spiritual life. Living as saints, they contribute to social, literary and spiritual growth. The life of Avaiyyar of Tamil Nadu is one such story full of extraordinary twists and amazing sweetness.
Avaiyyar was a saint of South India. She was known for her extraordinary life, her exceptional poetry and her noble soul. Her writings are taught even today at school right from the primary level of teaching. Legends say that Avaiyyar was born to a brahmin and his wife of a lower caste. The brahmin was on a spiritual journey at the time of the child’s birth and he ordered his wife to leave the baby in the forest and walk behind him to complete the journey. The wife obeyed her husband and trusting God to take care of her new born babe, walked away leaving the child under a tree. A poet who was passing by noticed the new born babe and brought her up as his own. She showed great interest in poetry and at the age of four completed a verse that reputed poets could not.
Avaiyyar grew up to be a beautiful young woman. She was deeply involved in literature and arts and had dedicated her life wholly to Lord Ganesha, her chosen Deity. Her beauty, talent and radiance attracted many influential and rich men who made offers of marriage to her foster parents. Rich landlords, famous poets and wealthy kings competed for her hand in marriage. Her foster parents were unable to refuse the rich and powerful suitors. They finally fixed her marriage with a neighboring prince. Avaiyyar sat in prayer and invoked Lord Ganesha and prayed to him: O Lord, I seek nothing but to adore, love and serve You and the society. My youth and beauty are a great hindrance in my goals of life. Please take them away so that I am in peace and undisturbed and able to totally give myself to your bhakti and seva. O Vigneshwara, bless me! Lord Ganesha responded to her fervent cries of heart and responded. Lo and behold – she was instantly transformed into a graceful aged woman! From that day she was called Avaiyyar – meaning wise old woman or grandmother.
At a time and age, when all seek to enjoy the joys of romance, love, marriage, sex and family, Avaiyyar gave up her beauty and youth at its peak. Without a blink or a second thought or a shred of remorse, she turned her back to what is treasured most by all mankind. She discarded her beauty and youth for seeking the highest of human goals – selfless love of God. Now she was no longer bothered by offers of marriage. She left home and her foster parents and wandered about offering sage advice and wisdom to all those she met. She spoke short and meaningful sentences of wisdom which contained great meaning:
Speak not to provoke
Love to give gifts
Ponder before you act
Harsh words do not conquer, soft ones do
Her advice and counsel were sought by one and all. Even kings invited her to their court to seek counsel on the current problems faced by them and their people. When there were chances of war between neighboring kingdoms, she acted as a mediator and counselled the kings to give up their ambitions in preference to peace and prosperity of the subjects. Her presence was sought after as she was full of great devotion to God and had great worldly wisdom.
(Contd ... part 2)
